Tedder.



r Patented Nov'. 19, will.

D. MAXWELL.

Tannen. (App1ieacion-med-mr. '16, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheat (N0 Model.)

rca-687,163. rammed Nov- I9, lem.

D. MAXWELL.'

'TEDDEL l (Application 'nied mar. 1e, 1900.) (un Model.) svsheertsQsneat z.

Patented Nov. I9, |901. D. -MAXWELL.

TEDDER.

(Application Bled Mar. 16, 1900.)

Sheet 3.

3 Sheets`- (Ilo Model.)

nu.. W??

UMa/wm 'UNrr'nn STATES PATENT Enron. y

DAVID MAXVELL, OF ST. MARYS, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IE FIRM OF DAVID MAXWELL da CANADA.

SONS, OF ST. MARYS, PROVINCE OF ONTARIO,

,- TEDDER.

srnorrrcarrou forming pas; or Letters Patent No. 687,163, eateugnovemter 19, 1901. Application filed March 16, 1900. Serial No. 8,941. (No model.)

To all whom t may con/cerro:

Be it known Jthat I, DAVIDMAX'WELL, of St. Marys, Province of Ontario, Canada, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Tedders; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in tedders, and has for its object to provide a simple, strong, and eifective machine which will have great capacityfor adjustment and at the same time not be liable to `become broken or the parts bent out of'alinelnent.

The invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be now described, and pointed ont particularly in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective View of a tedder embodying my present improvements. Fig. 2 is avdetail perspective View looking at the driving mechanism from the rear. Fig. 3 is asimilar view of the relieving-spring and its controlling-crank. Fig. 4 is a detail of the clutch in the driving-gear. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the forks. Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the same with the fork thrown back and the spring under compression in dotted lines. Fig. 7 is a det-ail sectional view through the relieving-spring with its link.

`Like letters of reference in the several ligures indicate the same parts.

The tedder is, as usual, carried by groundwheels A, in the present instance connected by a straight axle B, which rotates therewith,

although any of the usual or preferred back-l ing-ratchets may be interposed. Extending forwardly from the axle and journaled thereon in suitable bearings is a U-shaped frame O, having a cross-bar C connecting its two arms at a point about midway between its front bar and the axle, this U-shaped frame and cross-bar O' constituting the main frame of the machine, to which the shafts O2 are connected and which also supports the socket C? v of the intermediate arm D'.

for the standard and seat O4. A secondary and substantially U-shaped` frame D is also journaled on the axle, preferablyin bearings d, depending from the under side of its arms at about midway of their length, and this frame is adapted to support the working mechanism of the tedder, including the crankshaft for the forks andthe major portion of the driving mechanism therefor. In the preferred construction this secondary U-shaped frame has an intermediate arm or member D',

yand the three arms are connected together in Vrear of the axle by a cross-piece D2.

The crank-shaft E for the tedder-forks, to be presently described, is journaled in bearings `E' on the rear ends of thearms of the frame D,

and said arms, itwill be seen, particularlyin v Figs. l and2, are curved so as to raise the front and rear ends of the secondary frame, this curvature vbeing made greater or less in the manufacture ofthe tedder, so'as to permit of the use of longer or shorter forks orof larger or smaller ground-wheels without necessitating the changing of the othergportion of the mechanism in any respect.

is mounted a relatively large internallytoothed gear F, adapted to mesh with a pinion f, mounted rigidly on the end of a'secondary shaft G, journaled at one end in bearings supported beneath the central arm D of the secondary frame and at the other end in a'bearing beneath a-support H, extending fromuthe front of the secondary frame to the cross-piece D2 at a point slightly to one side The secondary Y 7s At an intermedlatepolnt on the axle there; y

shaft Gis located in front of the axle and beneath the secondary frame, this arrangement being made practicable by bending the arms of the secondary frame, as before explained, and-forms a structure wherein the line of draft is located most favorably to prevent distorting the frame should unusual resistance to the driving mechanism occur. Between IOO sprocket-wheel, with which the pin engages when the sprocket-wheel is moved in one direction, but which permits the shaft to rotate independently of the sprocket-wheels when disengaged. The connection between the sprocket-wheel I and the fork crank-shaft is made by a sprocket-chain K, passing around said wheel and around a corresponding but preferably smaller sprocket-wheel k on the crank-shaft. The sprocket-wheel I is moved longitudinally of its shaft, so as to engage or disengage the clutch, and thereby rotate or permit the crank-shaft' to remain stationary by means of a hand-lever L, journaled on the support H and having one of its ends bent to engage a groove Z in the hub of the sprocketwheel. The sprocket-wheel may be held in engagement by the spring Z or by any other usual or preferred means. The chain K passes around the axle and is held out of contact therewith by an intermediate guide-pulley or idler K', preferably adjustably mounted on theintermediate arm G. Thus the secondary frame, together with the secondary shaft, the crank-shaft, and connected parts, may be turned about the axle to any inclination without any of the parts contacting with the axle or the main frame, and consequently the forks may be raised or lowered to any desired eX- tent.

The mechanism for tilting the secondary frame and raising and loweringY the forks preferably consists of a hand-lever M, pivoted on the main frame and connected with a crankshaft M, the crank end m of which is connected with the secondary frame through an intermediate relieving-spring. in Figs. 3 and 7.) The crank-shaft and handlever M, together with the secondary frame, are held in their position of adjustment by a segmental rack N and a pawl on the handlever of usual construction.

The relieving-spring is located centrally of the whole machine and preferably on the forward end of the intermediate arm D of the secondary frame, for which purpose a springhousing O is bolted to the end of said arm and provided at its uppervend with a transverse bolt o, around which a link P, pivotally connected with the crank on, is adapted to play, while the relieving-spring itself (lettered Q) surrounds this link and isinterposed between the lower Vend of the link and a washer q, which bears upon the transverse bolt o. The spring Q is a compression-spring, and thus, assuming that the secondary frame has been tilted, should any of the forks encounter a resistance tending to turn the frame back into a more or less horizontal position the spring would yield and prevent any breakage or distortion. The central location of the relieving-spring balances up the resistance and greatly simplifies the structure by dispensing with the necessity of long connections between opposite ends of the frame, such as has usually been employed in prior structures.

(Best shown' The shaft M is preferably journaled in bearings 'supported one by a brace M2, extending between the front of the frame C and the cross-piece C', and the other by a diagonal brace M3, extending from the crosspiece C to the seat-socket C3, as shown clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The carriers or direct supports for the'tedder-forks R are in the formof tubular casings S, preferably, though not necessarily, square and having bearings s, attached thereto near the center, which receive the cranked portions of the tedder crank-shaft E. The upper ends of the casings are provided with other bearings s', connected by links s2 with the front bar of the supplemental frame. The tubular casings S at theirlower ends are provided with bearings T, in which the forks R are journaled, such forks themselves being preferably, though not necessarily, formed of a single length of rod having a cranked por` tion t located intermediate the bearings T and adapted when the fork is turned back to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6 to contact with stops t2 and arrest the further rotation of the fork in the bearing.

Extending longitudinally through the casing S is a rod U, having its lower end provided with a hook u, which engages the cranked portion of the forks, while its upper end is provided with a nut a, adapted to rest in a socket in the upper end of a sleeve u2, movable longitudinally within the casing and adapted to bear against a compression-spring V, located between the inner end of said sleeve or socket and suitable stops or pins W, passed transversely through the casing on each side of the rod. The effect of this arrangement is to hold the forks` normally in their operative position; but should they encounter resistance by sticking into the earth vor by striking an obstruction they will be allowed to yield backwardly until the obstruction is passed. The nut u is adjustable on the end of the rod, but is held against accidental release or movement by the socket u2, and the latter is preferably held against rotation by fitting within the square casing S. It will be particularly noted that the spring is entirely inclosed by the casing, and hence there is no danger of dirt or hay working into it and preventing its elfective action, and at the same time the adjusting means for such spring is readily accessible at all times. A nut and threaded rod are much to be preferred as the adjusting means, but it is obvious that other well-known forms of adjustable stops for the upper end of the IOO TIO

spring may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The entire frame of the machine is preferably formed of angle or channel irons, which may be of relatively light caliber, and by rea` son ofthe formation of the frames of U shape and the location of the driving and controlling mechanisms centrally there is little or no liability of the frame being distorted and thrown permanently out of operative alinement by unusual usage or rough handling.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a tedder the combination with the axle, ground-wheels, U-shaped main frame journaled on said axle, intermediate cross-piece connecting the arms of said frame, and shafts connected with said cross-piece and-front bar of the frame respectively, of a secondary U- shaped frame located above the main frame having rearwardly-extending arms curved upwardly intermediate their ends and journaled on theaxle, the crank-shaft journaled on the rearwardly-extending ends of the arms, tedder-forks journaled on said crank-shaft, and a driving-gear embodying a gear-wheel on the axle, a secondary drive-shaft j ournaled on the under side of the secondary frame in front of the axleand having a pinion meshing with said gear,sprocketwheels on said secondary shaft and crank-shaft respectively, a sprocket chain connecting said sprocketwheels and a tilting mechanism for the secondary frame; substantially as described.

2. In a tedder the combination with the axle, ground wheels, forwardly extending U- shaped main frame journaled on lthe axle, shafts and seat and tilting mechanism mounted on said forwardly-extending U-shaped frame,of a secondary `U-shaped frame located above the main frame also journaled on the axle, and having end and intermediate reardescribed, the crank-shaft journaled on the ends of said arms, redder-forks carried by said crank-shaft and a driving-gear for said crank-shaft embodying an internally-toothed gear-wheel on the axle, a secondary shaft journaled beneath the secondary frame, forward of the axle,ra pinion on said secondary shaft meshing with the internally -toothed gear, sprocket-wheels on said secondary shaft and crank-shaft respectively, and a sprocketchain passing around the axle and connect-A 3. 'In a tedder the combination with the main and secondary frames and the axle on which said frames are journaled, of the teddering mechanism on the secondary frame and a tilting mechanism for said secondary frame embodying a tilting lever anda single relieving-spring interposed centrally of the machine between the said lever and the secondary frame; substantially as described. Y

4. In ahay-tedder the combination with the main frame, axle on which it is journaled and secondary frame journaled on said axle and having an intermediate arm extending rearwardly ata central point, of a relieving-springcasing carried by the front end of saidvintermediate arm, a controlling handle and crank-shaft journaled on the main frame, and a link-and-spring connection interposed between the crank of said sh aft and the controlling-spring casing of the secondary frame; substantially as described. l

5. In a tedder the combination with the axle, ground-wheels, U-shaped main frame journaled on said axle, a U-shaped secondary frame overlying the main frame and also j ournaled on said axle having rearwardly-extending arms, the intermediate arm on said secondary frame, the crank-shaft carrying the redder-forks j ournaled on the rearwardly-extending ends of said arms, the tilting crankshaft journaled on the main frame, a controlling-handle for said tilting crank shaft, a link connecting the crank of said shaft and the central arm of the secondary frame and a spring interposed between the end of said crank and said arm whereby the secondary frame may yield Without moving the crankshaft of the tilting mechanism; substantially as described. p

6. In a hay-tedder, the combination with a tubular casing, bearings mounted on its lower end, a tedder-fork journaled in said bearings and having a cranked portion intermediate said bearings, a rod connected with said cranked portion and extending through the casing, an adjustable stop on its `upper end and a spring located entirely within the casing and surrounding the rod for holding the fork in normal position; substantially as described.

7. In a tedder the combination with a tubular casing having bearings at each end and at an intermediate pointa tedder-fork journaled in the bearings at one end of the casing and having an intermediate cranked portion, stops with which said cranked portion is adapted to contact when the fork is bent backwardly,a rodconnected withsaid cranked portion and extending'throngh the casing, a tubular sleeve surrounding the upper end of the rod and having a socket therein, a nut on the rod adapted to iit in said socket, a coilspring located entirely within-the casing and beneath the lower end of the socket and a proroo 'IIO

jection for supporting the lower end of said spring; substantially as described.

v 8. In a tedder the combination with a square tubular casing having end and intermediate bearings, a tedder-fork journaled in the bearings at one end of the casing and having'an intermediate cranked portion, stops with which said cranked portion is adapted to contact when the fork is bent backwardly,

supporting the lower end of said spring; substantially as described.

Witnesses LEONARD HARsToNE, WM. CARR.

DAVID MAXWELL. i 

